Donny van de Beek has admitted that he does have something to prove at Everton after his struggles with Manchester United.
The midfielder left Ajax in the summer of 2020 and made the move to Old Trafford, but couldn't regularly break into the starting line-up during his time with the club.
Frank Lampard made the 24-year-old a prime target shortly after being confirmed as the Blues' new manager, and secured a loan for the Dutch international on transfer deadline day.
Van de Beek has admitted that he does have something to prove, but not only for himself.
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When asked if he has a point to make, he told the club programme: "Yes, but it is also for everyone around me.
"If I play well, I do it for them, for my girlfriend and for my family and friends.
"I want to give joy to those people. And to the fans. Then I want to do it for myself. Of course, sometimes I am disappointed and frustrated.
"But I always try to stay positive and believe there will be a day it will change. I can only change it with hard work, I want to show that some people are wrong and I still have the quality to play - I always aim to do this."
Van de Beek has no doubts over the qualities he has as a footballer and knows he has a lot of time to prove his potential once more.
And the midfielder has explained where his motivation comes from.
"For my motivation every day, I remember where I started," he added.
"I started in the youth teams, with nothing. I was down at the bottom, now I am there [raises hand].
"There are moments it can be a little bit like this [lowers hand], then it is up to you to bring it back up - to go again [lifts arm and makes stepping upwards motion with hand].
"I always think about this - and always believe there is another way to go up again.
"I believe in my qualities and know what I can do. I have all the time to do it again and it is up to me to show it."
Van de Beek's time at the Ajax academy proved very important, and the midfielder went into detail about how he really managed to set himself apart from others in the setup.
He said: "Dedication is always rewarded, I firmly believe that.
"In the Ajax academy, they have speciality coaches, covering different elements of the game. They will identify your weaknesses, then try to help.
"If you have a poor left foot, for example, you practice with someone three times a week. They're not watching whether you're winning or losing, so much.
"Of course, they want you to win, but the main thought is, what we can do to bring this player to the first team.
"When I was 15 or 16, I started to grow up and improve a lot. I worked on my physicality and my sprinting and my explosiveness. I became stronger and was better on the ball - and then I began to stand out."
